B

Bicarb; abbreviation of Bicarbonate of Soda. Also known as Sodium Bicarbonate or Baking Soda. NOT Baking Powder. A leavening agent used to expand air bubbles in a batter or dough when heated causing the product to “rise”. The chemical reaction that causes the “rising” effect can only occur in the presence of both a liquid and an acid (e.g Citric Acid in fruit, Lactic Acid in milk, Acetic Acid in vinegar)

Bran; The outer husk of a grain (see Flour).

Brioche

Brioche (French); A light, crumbly bread-like pastry, very rich in butter and eggs.

C

Chevron; Meat from an adult goat. In Australia that can be either farmed or wild-caught

Conserve; A chunky style of sweet preserve. Conserves are characterised by pieces of cooked fruit suspended in a thinner gel than either jams or jellies.

Curd (Bean); Tofu

Curd (Cauliflower); The edible head of a cauliflower

Curd (Fruit); A fruit preserve made with butter, eggs and sugar. Essentially a custard.

Curd (Milk); Milk solids. The soft, white substance formed when milk separates either through enzyme activity, or the addition of mild acids (such as vinegar). Used as the basis for cheesemaking and sweet desserts such as junket. Many substances resembling milk solids are also referred to as “curd” (e.g. the fatty substance that forms between the flakes of poached salmon)

D

Dhal = dal = daal = dahl = daar

Dhal

Origin; India, Pakistan, Bengal, Bangladesh and surrounding regions Description; General term for pulses made from various species of legume, or the stew prepared from these pulses. Varieties and substitutes; Almost everywhere you travel on the Subcontinent you will find regional variations of Dhal (stew) based on the species or variety of legume grown there. Here are a few of the most common, and the ones you are likely to find outside of Asia

Double Boiler; a two tier saucepan for applying indirect heat to contents that will scorch easily. Boiling water in the lower pan heats contents in the upper one. A double boiler can be improvised using a heatproof bowl that fits snugly into the top of a saucepan. The bottom of the bowl must not touch the boiling water.

E

F

wheat kernel

Flour; Grains or pulses ground to a fine powder. Wheat flour comes in several grades: white flour (wheat kernels are processed to remove husk/bran and germ then milled), wholemeal (white flour with husk/bran added) and wholegrain (the grains are milled whole). In some cases very finely milled (white) wheat flour is sold as “cornflour” or “gravy” flour. True cornflour is milled from dried maize seeds.

G

Golden Syrup; sometimes called Light Treacle. A thick, amber-coloured syrup made during the sugar refining process, or by treatment of a sugar solution with acid.

H

Hogget; Meat from a sheep between 1 and 2 years of age

I

J

Falconry Jess

Jess; Falconry term for the thin straps used to tether a hunting bird.

K

Kid; Meat from a goat younger than 1 year old

L

Lapin; Meat from a rabbit. In Australia that can be either farmed or wild-caught

M

Pinzon Mandoline Slicer

Mandoline; A kitchen tool used for slicing fruit and vegetables. Useful where speed and/or uniformity is important. Many types come with various blades for producing Julienne, chips, shredding and grating.

Milling; the process of grinding grains or pulses into flour. In modern times, this process is mechanised. Traditionally, flour was milled between two huge stones, turned by hand, yoked animals, wind or water wheels.

Molasses; Sometimes called Dark Treacle is a very thick, black (or almost black) syrup made during the sugar refining process.

Muffin Tray; A baking tray containing cup-shaped indents designed to give cupcakes or muffins even heating through the base and sides as they cook. They come in three sizes; miniature, standard and Texas.

Mulling, Mulled; Flavouring a (often alcoholic) beverage by warming it with spices and/or fruit and/or sweetening. The drink is then said to be “Mulled”

N

O

P

Panko (Japanese) or Panko Breadcrumbs; a variety of flaky bread crumb for fried foods. Made from crust-less bread ground to fine slivers. It has a crisp, light texture and resists absorbing oil or grease when fried.

Parboiled rice or converted rice is rice grains that have been partially cooked in the husk. The three basic steps of parboiling are soaking, steaming and drying. These steps boost the grains’ nutritional profile, change its texture and make it faster to cook. (see Rice)

Pectin; Pectin is a polyscaccaride found in the cell walls of fruit. When heated together with cane sugar (sucrose), it forms a gel characteristic of jams and other preserves. Pectin content of fruit determines how easily a preserve will “set”. The higher the pectin, the firmer the set.

R

Ragoût (French); A thick stew made from meat, poultry or fish, cooked with or without vegetables.

Ragu (Italian); A tomato based meat sauce, usually served with pasta.

Ramekin; A small (usually round) oven proof dish.

structure of a rice grain

Rice; Seed grains of various species of the Oryza genus of grasses, primarily O. sativa. Regardless of variety, rice grains are sold in one of three states;

Purple Rice or Black Rice, or Forbidden Rice; unhulled variety of long grain rice favoured in Chinese and Thai cuisines.

Red Rice; unhusked, or partially husked, long grained seeds of Oryza longistaminataorOryza punctata. Originally from Africa and Madagascar, it is not found in the cuisines of Sri Lanka and Thailand.

Uruchimai orSushi Rice; short grained, glutinous white rice favoured in Japanese cuisines and in the production of sake

Wild Riceor Canada rice, or Indian rice, or Water Oats; Hulled seeds of the genus Zizania, originally from North America and China.

Rolled oats; Porridge Oats.

S

Setting Point; of Jam or Jelly. The temperature at which hot, runny preserves thicken and “set”. At 104ºC/220ºF, sugar bonds with pectin to form a gel.

sprigs of various herbs

Sprig; An arbitrary measurement for fresh herbs. A 5cm/2″ long piece cut or pinched off the plant. Normally this would be the growing tip, where the freshest leaves and shoots are clustered.

Squash – Summer;

This “vegetable” is actually the fruit of the Cucurbita genus, usually C. pepo. Summer Squash are harvested while immature and need to be eaten immediately. The earliest varieties can be picked in late Spring. Varieties;Cucurbita pepo, and many related species of gourds, have been cultivated for thousands of years. There are hundreds of modern and heritage cultivars. They fall broadly into these categories;

Delicata Squash;distinctive cream colour with green lengthways stripes. Often classified as Winter Squash, however it does not store well. Fruit eaten either mature or immature.

Lebanese or CousaSquash; pale-colored Zucchini varieties from the Middle Eastern and West Asia. Best eaten as immature fruit

Tromboncino Zucchetta or Italian Trombone Squash; fruit of Cucurbita moschata. A pale, creamy green fruit with a very long, often curved neck and a small bulb at the end. The mature fruit can be a meter long and weigh two kilos.

Yellow crookneck squash; bright yellow skin and a long curved “neck”. The flower end of the fruit becomes a bulb shape as it matures.

Zucchini “Cocozelle”

Yellow summer squash; very similar to the crookneck, however the “neck” is shorter and straight.

Zucchini or Courgette;This is the most commonly grown, with a large number of cultivars in many shapes and colours. Shades of yellow, green or cream, even stripy ones. There are long, smooth shaped zucchinis, ones with ridges, even ball shapes. Best eaten as immature fruit, often with flower still attached.

U

V

Venison; Meat from a deer. In Australia that can be either farmed or wild-caught.

W

X

Y

Z

Welcome

This blog started its life as a chunk of data for my Beloved to work the arcane magic he calls “Web Development”. Through several incarnations (and many, many re-edits), my ramblings about food, plants, herb-lore and stuff have sort of .. grown. So I bid you welcome to my garden, my kitchen and my workshop. Take a load off, sip some tea and bide a while.